Paulino ran for mayor of
Olongapo in 2007, but was defeated by James "Bong" Gordon Jr.
Vice Mayor of Olongapo (2010-2013) In 2010, he ran for vice mayor of Olongapo and won after garnering 47,074 against Gordon's running mate, Cynthia Cajudo, who garnered 31,121. He was sworn in on June 30, 2010.
Mayor of Olongapo (2013-2019) He ran again for mayor of Olongapo in 2013. His opponents were Anne Gordon, wife of the incumbent mayor James "Bong" Gordon Jr., who was term-limited, and Bugsy delos Reyes, Gordon's nephew. He won the election, ending the Gordon political dynasty in the city. In the
2016 elections, Paulino won re-election against opponents James "Bong" Gordon Jr. and independent candidate Octavio Galvezo. On June 28, 2013, he was inaugurated at Rizal Triangle in Olongapo. On June 30, his term officially started. On July 2, he and his team met
Department of Energy Secretary
Jericho Petilla and Private Sector Asset Liabilities Management (PSALM) President
Emmanuel Ledesma Jr. regarding the power debt. They agreed to cancel the power disconnection, and PSALM would restructure the payment scheme. Therefore, Paulino averted his city's power disconnection. In September 2018, an investigation into alleged bidding anomalies led to the suspension of Paulino, along with the vice mayor and other key city officials, by the
Ombudsman. The focus of the allegations was their purported involvement in disadvantageous lease contracts between the city government and
SM Prime Holdings for the Olongapo City Civic Center spanning 2014 to 2015. Councilor Lugie Lipumano Garcia assumed the role of acting mayor during this suspension period, which lasted until March 2019. In April 2019, an arrest order was issued by the Sandiganbayan against Paulino, vice-mayor Aquilino Cortez Jr., and some city councilors in connection with the alleged violations. Subsequently, in July 2019, the charges were dismissed after Paulino and his co-accused demonstrated that the Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) Law did not apply to the lease agreements. The Sandiganbayan Seventh Division later affirmed its decision to acquit him and his co-accused of graft charges. Despite the initial dismissal, the case was revived, leading to another arrest warrant issued by the Sandiganbayan Fifth Division in July 2022. However, on October 24, 2022, the case was ultimately dismissed when the court determined that the
right to a speedy trial of Paulino and his co-accused had been violated.
Post-mayoral career On March 1, 2022 after his political stint as mayor of Olongapo, Paulino was appointed by President
Rodrigo Duterte as administrator and chairman of the board of directors of the
Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority, replacing Wilma T. Eisma who resigned. He served until his resignation became effective on April 15, 2023. In April 25, 2023, President
Bongbong Marcos appointed him as member of the board of directors of the
Bases Conversion and Development Authority, replacing
Glorioso Miranda. ==Personal life==